The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-22

quent the assertion may be it has had very
little effect upon practical politics. 1t II
true that in some states, as in Tennessee
ministers Of the Gospel are excluded from
the Legislature by a provision Of the cousti-
tuition. Yet, oil through American politics,
clergymen have figured very prominently in
public affairs. They furnished many Of the
leaders in the great struggle for indepen-
dence; from the pulpit came the men who
secured, among the common people, assent
to the Constitution. It was the influence Of
a country minister--John Leland-that sent
James Madison to the Virginia Convention
which, under Madison's leadership, ratified
the Constitution. It was q minister who
first impressed upon the General Govern
ment the importance Of retaining our hold
upon Oregon. Il was in proportion to the
activity Of the ministry in politics that the
Liberty and Free Soil parties succeeded. It
was The Northern pulpit that elected Abra-
ham Lincoln in 1860, and sustained the cour-
age Of the people in the dark days Of civil
war. And, in eternal fitness, 1t is the min
istry which to-day is securing for the Pro
hibition party the support of the masses.
There were ninety-ive ministers in the Syr-
acuse Convention, and the grand old man,
who was chosen to lead our hosts in this
great fight Of 81, is o minister. Recent po-
litical events shew that ministers are quite
as popular; candidates for political office as
other people could be. 1t was Rev. J. Hyatt
Smith who overcame immense majority in
one Of the congressional districts Of Kings
County a few years ago. and was elected
over o merchant prince, thereby making the
most phenomenal run made in the congress
ional struggles of that year. It is the Rev.
Stephen Merritt who has received the larg-
est vote ever given for q prominent prohi-
bitionist in New York City, receiving in
1884, 1888 votes for the Assembly, against
1922 for a Republican candidate, 1880 for
a Tammany candidate, and l,43l for a Coun-
ty Democracy candidate; and in 1885 poll
ing $3.50 votes in the Senatorial district
against 1923 for the Democratic, and OTIS
for the Republican candidates. DR.. VIM. II.
DIN, q Methodist minister did not find the
fact that he was preaching every Sunday to
a large congregation any hindrance to his
cleo ton to the Assembly from Broome Coun-
ty in 1888 and 1884. Nor did Dr.. Dor
chester find o similar fact any hindrance to
his election to the Massachusetts, Legislature
q few years ago. The fact that DR.. Edward
McGlynn waa a priest did not seem to les
sen the interest in his speeches in the can
vass for Mayor of New York O, year ago
The fact that DR.. Leonard was q minister
did not prevent his making the most suc-
cessful run in Ohio ever made by o Prohi-
bit:on candidate; his vote for Governor being
90, O54 in 1886, while the Prohibition vote Of
1884 was only 1909, and the "Dr. Leonard
of New York." as Fred F. Wheeler called
DR.. Huntington before the nominating COM
mittee at Syracuse, managed to get the heav-
lest vote received by any ~unendorsed Pro-
hibitionist candidate for Congress in this
state last year. Dr.. H%untington's vote was
5,505 against I6,96e for the Republican and
1906 for the Democratic candidates, while
Groo's vote in the district was only 3,Sl3.
But | would like to give a few reasons
why l think ministers should be active in
politics: